Coastal Carolina University's board of trustees set legislative priorities at its quarterly meeting today. These include securing state funds for an estimated $47 million rehabilitation/renovation/addition to the R. Cathcart Smith Science Center and seeking approval to hire new full-time faculty and staff for fall 2008.

The board set eight top priorities for Coastal's facilities master plan, including: construction of a new science building annex for labs; construction of a football field house; Student Center/CINO Grille expansion; safety improvements to campus residence halls; expansion of student parking; renovation of Atheneum Hall; creation of a one-stop shop in Kingston Hall; and renovations to science laboratories, including the Environmental Quality Lab.

The board also:

* Approved a revised mission statement, which will be sent to the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education for final approval.

* Approved creation of an ad hoc committee to study the campus master plan.

* Authorized the hiring of a consultant to assist in preparing a facilities usage master plan for the university. The request includes a total compensation of $1,600.

* Approved two off-campus storage leases for Residence Life and Human Resources at a combined annual cost of $21,220.

* Approved an additional $15 fee per semester for all undergraduate business majors and graduate MBA students to help support activities of the Wall Center of Excellence. The allocations will begin in Fall 2008.

* Approved tenure for Vernon Burton, professor of history and Burroughs Distinguished Professor of Southern History and Culture. The distinguished historian and author of the critically-acclaimed "The Age of Lincoln" will join the faculty in fall 2008. He succeeds Charles Joyner, who retired early this year after holding the professorship since its creation in 1988.

* Amended financial procedures to disallow cashing personal checks from petty cash.

* Approved a minimum base salary of $21,000 for employees who hold full time classified, slotted positions, effective Jan. 1.

The board also recognized Thomas P. Brown Jr., his wife retired CCU professor Jessie Brown and their son Thomas P. Brown III for their $100,000 pledge. The gift will be used to create the Each One Teach One Entrepreneurship Institute in Coastal's E. Craig Wall College of Business Administration and to fund an entrepreneur scholarship.